How much do you know about crimes that take place in the United States? Even if you have ever needed a criminal defense attorney, you may not know how common certain crimes are. There?s a reason lawyers are usually in high demand and there are so many different practicing laws from a murder defense lawyer to a domestic violence lawyer across the country. Even though people generally know they are committing a crime, they still do it and end up needing to hire the right attorney to help their case.
Interested in learning more about different crimes and how frequently they occur in the United States? Keep reading for more information on crimes that require a murder defense lawyer, a narcotics attorney, or an attorney for the illegal possession of a firearm.
Frequency of Crimes Across the United States
Even though someone may know they are about to commit a crime, they probably don?t know how common the crime they are committing is. We don?t spend as much time learning about the frequency of crimes and how often people are convicted. As of now, there are millions of people living in the United States with a criminal record. To be exact, over 68 million have a crime on their record.
That explains why there are so many different lawyers practicing law. Right now, there are about 1,315,561 lawyers who practice law somewhere in the United States. Lawyers can practice a variety of types of law. For example, some may be a murder defense lawyer while someone else may be a sex crime attorney or a prescription drug attorney. Usually lawyers find a niche and stick with it for their career.
Specific Crimes that Occur Frequently in the Country
Violent crimes are on the rise in the United States. In 2015, the FBI noted that there was an increase by 3.9% if the number of violent crimes that occurred. Assault and homicide still remain high on the list for reasons for death, too. In 2014, it ranked number 17 for cause of death, according to the CDC. That year there were around 15,000 homicide deaths.
Violent crimes can vary greatly and punishments for these crimes can differ by state and by the specifics of the crime. For example, if you commit a homicide, you are likely going to need a murder defense lawyer to help with your case. Depending on how you committed the murder or if you were trying to kill someone or it was an accident, the case may have different results.
Drunk drinking can also end up being a violent crime as their may be a wrongful death in the accident. Someone may choose to hire a wrongful death attorney to help in these cases. Drunk driving accidents still occur quite frequently, too. Every year, on average there are around 1.5 million drunk driving accidents that result in someone getting arrested for the crime.
If you have a criminal record, you are likely ineligible to purchase a firearm, as well. Especially if you were involved in a violent crime, the government would want to dissuade you from purchasing a firearm that could result in another violent crime. For example, in Indiana, it is a level 6 felony if someone who has a criminal record even tries to purchase a gun. That means you could have a $10,000 fine or spend six months in jail for attempting to buy the gun.
If you don?t have a criminal record, there are still laws surrounding firearms, when they can be used, and where you can take one. For instance, you should not take your firearm into an airport if you are going into a secured zone. That can result in a Class A misdemeanor. Even if it was an accident, you may be fined up to $15,000 or spend a year in jail for this action.
Have you ever been convicted of a crime that resulted in the need for you to hire a specific lawyer? What type of lawyer did you hire to handle your case? Let us know about your experiences in the comments.
